UMass basketball coach Derek Kellogg will have to hope his team isn't lulled into a trap by Northern Illinois on SaturdayDon Treeger | The Republican

AMHERST – The last time the University of Massachusetts traveled to DeKalb, Ill., the football team entered as a 35-point underdog and exited after a 63-0 thrashing dealt by now Orange Bowl-bound Northern Illinois.

When the basketball team visits the Huskies Saturday, the shoe will be on the other foot.

The streaking Minutemen (7-3) have won four straight games, while the Huskies sit at 2-9, their lone Division I victory coming over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

On the surface, it seems like it should be a pleasant jaunt to the Midwest for UMass – a chance to get minutes for its younger players and experiment with different lineup combinations.

But games like Saturday’s can also be booby traps for NCAA hopefuls like the Minutemen. A loss to a Northern Illinois team that could end up with an RPI north of 300 could doom UMass when Selection Sunday rolls around.

Going on the road doesn’t make it any easier, either.

“To go on the road this time of year presents its own challenges for a team like us,” UMass coach Derek Kellogg said. “I’m going to tell my guys that I can’t wait to go on this trip and I’m really looking forward to going on the road and playing.”

The Minutemen are 2-0 on the road, with close wins at Siena and Northeastern. The record is nice, but Kellogg is quick to mention his team isn’t exactly blowing people out away from home.

“I think I like that we’ve won two games against teams that are at least much better at home. By the same token, it’s not like we’ve been able to put anybody away to a certain extent,” Kellogg said. “Being 2-0 on the road is a good record, and we’re going to try to build on that and see what happens.”

The Minutemen will also likely have to avoid falling into the lull of playing in a mostly empty building – Northern Illinois has averaged just 1,330 fans in four home games.

However, UMass point guard Chaz Williams said the crowd, or lack thereof, won’t have any impact on the Minutemen.

“It doesn’t matter if there’s 1,000 people, 10,000 people or nobody,” Williams said. “If you show up to play a game, you have to play the game, no matter who’s there.”

It’s hard to blame Huskies fans for not packing the stands. The team is ranked 335th in the country in scoring (56.7 points per game) and 334th in field-goal percentage (38.1 percent).

That said, there are reasons for Northern Illinois coach Mark Montgomery to be encouraged. Leading scorer and preseason All-Mid American Conference West Division swingman Abdel Nader has averaged 15 points in four games since returning from a suspension for violation of team rules. In that stretch, the Huskies have remained competitive in games with DePaul (a four-point loss) and Washington (a 10-point loss).

“They played DePaul very tough and played Washington tough,” Kellogg said. “It’s one of those things where it looks like they’re getting better.”

Saturday’s game is the second of UMass’ four required against MAC opponents as part of its agreement to play football in the league. UMass defeated Ohio Dec. 19, will travel to Miami (Ohio) Jan. 2 and finishes the MAC slate at home against Eastern Michigan Jan. 5.